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2011 DIGILAW 2163 (HP)

State Of H. P v. Bikram Singh

2011-05-17

R.B.MISRA, V.K.SHARMA

body2011
JUDGMENT V.K.Sharma, J. (1) The State is in appeal against acquittal of the respondent (accused) for the offence under Section 18 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (in short 'NDPS Act') by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Una, H.P. vide judgment dated 24.05.2001. (2) Factual matrix as noticed by the learned trial Court is as under. On 6.12.2000 Head Constable Hoshiar Singh along with some police officials was present at village Saloh. Constable Kulbhushan No. 28 came there and gave him information that accused who was present at village Ghaluwal was indulging in the illicit business of narcotics. This information was reduced into writing vide Ext. PA which was sent to the police station by the Head Constable through C. Sher Bahadur and an information to this effect under Section 42 of the N.D.P.S. Act was sent to S.P., Una through C. Ranjit Singh. The Head Constable has further stated that thereafter he formed a raiding party consisting of independent witnesses Satish Kumar and Rajesh Kumar and proceeded to village Ghaluwal where the accused was apprehended and the Head Constable expressed his suspicion that the accused was carrying some incriminatory material with him. Thereafter, the accused was apprised of his right under Section 50 of the Act as to whether he wanted to be searched personally by the police party or by a Magistrate or by any gazetted officer. The accused thereafter gave his consent vide Ext. PB that he wanted his personal search to be conducted by the police party. The I.O. further states that the police officials gave their personal search to the witnesses but nothing was recovered from them and in this behalf memo Ext. PC was prepared. Thereafter, the accused was searched and from the right pocket of his pant a polythene envelope containing opium was recovered. It was weighed and found to be 110 grams out of which 2 samples of 10 grams each were separated and all the three parcels were sealed with seal 'HS' which after use was handed over to Satish Kumar. All the three parcels were taken in possession vide Ext. PD. The accused was apprised of his grounds of arrest vide Ext. PE whereafter he was personally searched vide memo Ext. PF. The I.O. had prepared site plan Ext. All the three parcels were taken in possession vide Ext. PD. The accused was apprised of his grounds of arrest vide Ext. PE whereafter he was personally searched vide memo Ext. PF. The I.O. had prepared site plan Ext. PW-12/A. In the evening, he handed over the accused and the case property to ASI Mohinder Singh at Police Station, Una. On 7.12.2000 the Head Constable had sent special report u/s 57 of the Act to S.P. Una a copy of which is Ext. PN was returned to him after its original was received by the S.P. The report of Chemical Examiner has been tendered in evidence vide Ext. PW-12/B. The bulk parcel of opium is Ext. P-1 and Ext. P-2 is the sample parcel. (3) On completion of investigation the accused was sent up to face trial. On being charged, he did not plead guilty and claimed to be tried. The prosecution evidence followed. In all, it examined 12 witnesses. (4) On close of the prosecution evidence, the accused was examined under Section 313 Cr.P.C., wherein, he pleaded innocence and false implication. However, he did not lead any evidence in defence. After hearing the parties, the learned trial Judge proceeded to acquit the accused. (5) We have heard the learned Additional Advocate General for the appellant/State, learned counsel for the accused and gone through the records. (6) The gravamen of charge against the accused under Section 18 of the NDPS Act, was relating to contravention in relation to opium. Section 2 (iv) of the NDPS Act defines opium as under:- "(xv) "opium" means- (a) the coagulated juice of the opium poppy; and (b) any mixture, with or without any neutral material, of the coagulated juice of the opium poppy, but does not include any preparation containing not more than 0.2 per cent of morphine;" The samples of the alleged contraband recovered from the accused were analyzed vide report Ex. PW-12/B, operative part whereof is as under:- 1. Date of Receipt in the Lab. No. 2906 Laboratory 7.12.2000 2. Weight (New weight) found in 10.5966 gms. Laboratory. 3. Date of Conducting the test result 19.1.2001 of. 4. Qualitative test. Test for meconic acid= Positive. 5. Result of quantitative test Test for morphine= Positive. General Observation of Chemicals I am of the opinion that the exhibit contains contents of opium. No. 2906 Laboratory 7.12.2000 2. Weight (New weight) found in 10.5966 gms. Laboratory. 3. Date of Conducting the test result 19.1.2001 of. 4. Qualitative test. Test for meconic acid= Positive. 5. Result of quantitative test Test for morphine= Positive. General Observation of Chemicals I am of the opinion that the exhibit contains contents of opium. (7) Thus, it is manifest that the contraband allegedly recovered from the accused was opined to "contain the contents of opium" as the tests for "meconic acid" and "morphine" were found to be "positive". (8) In Amarsingh Ramjibhai Barot vs. State of Gujarat, 2005 Supreme Court Cases (Cri) 1704, the Hon'ble Apex Court, has held as under vide paras 12, 14 and 15:- "12. Sections 17, 18 and 21 of the NDPS Act are intended to operate in different circumstances. Section 17 prescribes the punishment inter alia for possession of "prepared opium"; Section 18 prescribes the punishment inter alia for possession of "opium" and Section 21 deals with the punishment inter alia for possession of "manufactured drugs". Each one of these terms has been defined in the NDPS Act. "Opium" is defined in Section 2 (xv) as: "2.(xv) "opium" means- (a) the coagulated juice of the opium poppy; and (b) any mixture, with or without any neutral material, of the coagulated juice of the opium poppy, but does not include any preparation containing not more than 0.2 per cent of morphine;" 14. There does not appear to be any acceptable evidence that the black substance found with the appellant was "coagulated juice of the opium poppy" and "any mixture, with or without any neutral material, of the coagulated juice of the opium poppy". FSL has given its opinion that it is "opium as described in the NDPS Act". That is not binding on the court. 15. The evidence also does not indicate that the substance recovered from the appellant would fall within the meaning of sub-clauses (a), (b), (c) or (d) of Section 2(xvi). The residuary clause (e) would take into its sweep all preparations containing more than 0.2 per cent of morphine. The FSL report proves that the substance recovered from the appellant had 2.8 per cent anhydride morphine. Consequently, it would amount to "opium derivative" within the meaning of Section 2(xvi) (e). The residuary clause (e) would take into its sweep all preparations containing more than 0.2 per cent of morphine. The FSL report proves that the substance recovered from the appellant had 2.8 per cent anhydride morphine. Consequently, it would amount to "opium derivative" within the meaning of Section 2(xvi) (e). Clause (a) of Section 2(xi) defines the expression "manufactured drug" as: "2.(xvi) 'manufactured drug' means- (a) all coca derivatives, medicinal cannabis, opium derivatives and poppy straw concentrate; (b) * * *" All "opium derivatives" fall within the expression "manufactured drug" as defined in Section 2(xi) of the NDPS Act. Thus, we arrive at the conclusion that what was recovered from the appellant was "manufactured drug" within the meaning of Section 2(xi) of the NDPS Act. The material on record, therefore, indicates that the offence proved against the appellant fell clearly within Section 21 of the NDPS Act for illicit possession of "manufactured drug". Relying upon the case of Amarsingh Ramjibhai Barot, supra, a Division Bench of this Court in Daulat Ram vs. State of Himachal Pradesh, 2007 (2) Shim.LC 282, has held as under, vide paras 8, 9 and 10 of the judgment:- "8. From a bare reading of the definition of opium, it is clear that "opium" means coagulated juice of opium poppy or any mixture with or without neutral material of the coagulated juice of opium poppy having more than 0.2 per cent of morphine. 9. In the present case, report of the Chemical Examiner Ex.PR says that the samples were tested for meconic acid and morphine. Report does not say that the stuff was coagulated juice of opium poppy or it was mixture of coagulated juice with or without any neutral material and the percentage of the morphine in the mixture was more than 0.2 per cent. 10. The Hon'ble Supreme Court in Amarsingh Ramjibhai Barot v. State of Gujarat, 2005 Supreme Court Cases (Cri) 1704,has held that where the report of the Forensic Science Laboratory does not say that the stuff was coagulated juice of the opium poppy or it was a mixture with or without any neutral material of coagulated juice of opium poppy but simply expresses the opinion that the stuff is opium, as defined in the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, such a report is not acceptable and not binding on the Court. This implies that the report of the Scientific Expert has to specifically mention that either the stuff is coagulated juice of opium poppy or it is a mixture of such juice with some other material having morphine content in excess of 0.2 per cent." (9) When CTL report Ex. PW-12/B is considered in the light of the law laid down by the Hon'ble Apex Court, as followed by this Court in the aforesaid judgments, it is abundantly clear that the conclusion arrived at thereunder simply goes to show that the samples of the contraband allegedly recovered from the convict tested positive for meconic acid and morphine and were found to contain contents of opium. However, the report is not in accordance with the definition of opium contained in Section 2 (xv) of the NDPS Act, as the same is absolutely silent about the presence of "the coagulated juice of the opium" and "percentage of morphine" and as such cannot be relied upon to fasten criminality against the accused for the offence for which he was charged. (10) In a similar case (Cr. Appeal No. 36 of 2001, State of Himachal Pradesh versus Dhian Singh, decided on 15.3.2011), we have taken the same view. In view of the above, the appeal fails and is accordingly dismissed. (11) The appeal stands disposed of in the above terms.